Easy & Healthy Irish Stew Recipe

With the winter weather still around, one of the perfect food to eat is a comforting and piping-hot stew. Stewing is probably one of the best ways to cook food, especially during cold weathers. But it turns out, there are also other benefits to preparing a stew aside from enjoying a delicious bowl.

Benefits of stewing food

Here are some of the reasons why stewing is an awesome way to cook your food:

• The meat juices are retained as part of the stew
• Correct slow cooking results in very little evaporation
• It is economic on fuel
• Nutrients are conserved
• Tough foods are tenderized
• Economical in labor because foods can be bulk cooked

With that, how about we sample a stew recipe right now. Jamie Oliver does a delicious Irish stew. This recipe is not too tricky and filled with wholesome nutrition and is the real deal comfort food.

Irish stews are a filling and flavoursome dish that is made with the cheapest and most readily available ingredients. Irish stew generally reflects the history of Ireland itself. For sustenance, the Irish reared primarily sheep and harvested root crops. The sheep provided wool for warm clothing and milk for drinking and cheese making.  Eventually, the meat was used after the animal reached the end of its productive years. Before the potato famine, potatoes were the main food crop.

Modern interpretations of the Irish stew may now include it served with a wedge of a bread on the side, over a bed of polenta or an ancient grains pilaf.

Ingredients

• 50 g butter
• 8 lamb chump chops
• 3 onions
• 2 carrots
• 2 large potatoes
• 6 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 3 fresh bay leaves
• 150 g pearl barley

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/gas 4.
2. Heat the butter in a large frying pan over a medium heat and brown the lamb chops, then remove to a plate.
3. Peel and finely slice the onions and carrots, then add to the pan and soften for 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
4. Add a wineglass of water and deglaze the pan for 5 minutes.
5. Peel and slice the potato, then spread half in a layer in a large casserole dish and season well.
6. Add a layer of onion and carrot, the lamb chops, thyme and bay leaves, then season again.
7. Add the remaining onion and carrot and sprinkle the pearl barley on top. Layer over the remaining potato, the deglazed liquid and 500ml of water.
8. Cover and bake for 1 hour 30 minutes, or until the meat is tender and the potato starts to crisp up, then serve.

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